I am male, 57, UK(NI) on w+w (never treated). No symptoms with ALC of about 21.
Routine GP check has kicked up a hig(ish) Cholesterol.
I am on atorvastatin 20mg for some time but despite this my level is 5.08.
LDL is 3.1 and HDL is 0.99.
This is a repeat in a fasted state following on from a previous test which returned a reading of 4.73!
My specific query is can CLL affect, especially the HDL(good) cholesterol.?
I understood its preferred to be in the range 1-2.5, so I'm literally just under that.
I can see that weight (i'm slightly overweight BMI 26.5%) is a factor as is lack of exercise. I plan to do that but its tricky in winter as I'm working full time so limited to the weekends really.
I'm not trying to pin this on CLL but dr google has kicked up a few articles which suggst there may be links specifically to a lowering of HDL.
Still I suppose I need to up my game a little in general health. Exercise not so bad but diet can always be improved.
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Belfastbees
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I have had CLL 16 years, not one doctor has ever commented on my cholesterol levels related to CLL. I started .5 mg of cholesterol meds way before my CLL. My parents had cholesterol issues, so mine is definitely hereditary & food choices.
Thanks for the input. I guess it's on me. I have always led an active and healthy lifestyle but must admit the CLL diagnosis put some perspective on it. If I'm honest I enjoy my food a little bit too much, and wine also is a weakness but I do control that.
That's what mine has always said.. I have 3.5 chloresterol abd bmi 25.5 but take atorvastatin as brain haemorrhage is a strong familial trait.. My cholesterol didn't change with CLL diagnosis
I hah high cholesterol when originally diagnosed with CLL. In fact it was the switch from Lipitor to Simvastatin that made the doctors notice my elevated Lymphocyte count. After a few years my GP did an experiment as my cholesterol was no longer that high and gradually reduced the Simvastatin dose to 0. I' m still no longer on it but because of the pandemic my cholesterol hasn't been checked for a long time
Just had my cholesterol count done for the first time in many many years and after around 6 years of Ibrutinib for my CLL, which is stable (with a quiescent clone).Test result rated as very good - total Cholesterol 4.3 with an HDL of 2.3 and LDL of 1.7
Maye the result of moving to a 2/3 plant based eating plan ?
I had high cholestral pre diagnosis for CLL and have been on Atorvastatin 20mg for years. I think we should all be sensible with our diet. No one has related this to CLL. Of course the occasional treat doesn’t hurt 😀
I am overweight, despite eating fairly sensibly and pre pandemic, going to the gym/pool out days. Late 2019/January 2020 I had been getting more and more fatigues and struggling a bit with breathlessness. I was admitted to hospital with what I was told was a silent heart attack aka blocked coronary artery. My cholesterol had always been low, and I will be very honest and say that I had always said no to statins, based on the science I had read. I was sent to another hospital for a stent. And put on 80mg Atorvastatin for life and various other cardio drugs, which I take as I am supposed to. The cardiologists and my haematologist all said that it was not linked to the CLL. When they first tried to put the stent in I said I didnt want sedation (Midazolam). A few minutes into the procedure I went into sever respiratory distress, and woke up a day or so later in ICU. That wasn't linked to CLL either, and they said that I made such a good an quick recovery from that showed I was fit and healthy. However don't blame yourself for your cholesterol. The cardios took a family history from me; strong history of heart problems similar to mine, in people with low cholesterol. So not CLL.
Bodies are funny old things. A collection of mechanical and chemical systems. I'm surprised medicine or science has unravelled what it has. There are fascinating things going on at microscopic level and of course the chemistry is all affected by what we put in but also on interactions with other things, imbalances and so on.
I was diagnosed about 2 years ago, been through the 'this is it, curtains' stage and much more positive now. I guess I became less focused in long term health which I always had been and just helped myself.
The pandemic hasn't helped as the gym was replaced by walking and not sure when I would go back to a gym.
When all is said and done we have to live our lives and enjoy the journey because one day it will come to an end and that's fine. That's life.
I injured my spine in an accident some years ago and now can only potter around the house, going for a walk involves a mobility scooter and the pavements here in Stockport are awful, and keep tripping out the battery. It hoists into and out of my car, and we do go for "walks" but I can't do rough countryside with it.
I was diagnosed 4 years ago, when I got osteomyelitis in the little finger of my right hand. We hoped that the blood readings were due to the infection, but 6 weeks after getting rid of the finger, they were no different.
Thanks - I am used to it now. My husband is really helpful, which makes life a lot easier. I try and practice gratitude wherever I can, it helps a lot.
It is the most comprehensive series on the subject of cholesterol. There likely is dietary intervention that you can use to reach your cholesterol target levels. With nothing more than a modification of your diet. It is quite technical and the information takes some time to digest and assimilate. But as the good doctor states , by the time you finish reading you will know more about cholesterol and its implications then most MDs. And most importantly you will know not only how to influence cholesterol levels but why not to worry about elevated levels of serum cholesterol, as long as you get the diet right. It is complicated, so instead of trying to explain it further I will step aside and let you do the reading 😄. Good luck!
I will take a look at that thanks. Prior to be put on the statin I did cut out all but very occasional cheers, biscuits cakes all went. Had minimal effect so I was put on the statin anyway. Perhaps as I'm older now my metabolism would respond differently.
I'm not especially worried but it's the low HDL I would like to raise more than anything.
Wait a minute. Isn't hyperlipidemia and elevated level of lipids? When you say high level of cholesterol do you mean a high level of serum cholesterol? Or an excessive number of lipoproteins in the blood? If so of which type? Did you know that hyperlipidemia is caused by excessive carbohydrates consumption? Those free floating fat globules in the blood that make the blood look milky are actually not traveling on a lipoprotein (AKA cholesterol molecule). There is no such thing as a high cholesterol level as long as the lipoproteins are of the right kind and number. 25% of our brains are made of cholesterol. 85% of the cholesterol in the human body is made in the liver. The level cannot be influenced too much by the diet. But the composition can. And that's the only thing that counts. Anyways these days half of the population is on statins. Why would CLL patients be different?
I did Keto last year, lost 30 lbs., but it's not a sustainable diet, and when my GP found out she told me to stop cause it would raise my cholesterol, it actually didn't b/c I lost weight so my cholesterol did improve slightly but I am starting (trying to start) Mediterranean diet now which is supposed to be the best overall ?! So far no cholesterol meds and would love to keep it that way. I miss my bread and pasta 😞
my wife makes the steamed white rice (we call it sticky rice....I guess b/c its sticky) in the rice cooker - yes it's bad - not for cholesterol but bad for glucose (high in carbs), the whole grain brown rice is a bit better but I'm not a fan. We started making noodles with zucchini ( very easy we just put it thru the spiralizer - we call zoodles) which is a decent substitute for spaghetti noodles I recommend trying it if you haven't already. Still miss bread thou, just ain't no substitute for fresh sour dough or rye, I try to drink a lot which makes me feel full but honestly I don't feel hungry too often, I'm probably on about 1200 - 1500 calories per day and maintaining a reasonable weight but it can creep back slowly so need to be careful. I think the only way to improve the LDL (without meds) is exercise - I was kidding myself for a while thinking that walking the dog was exercise....it's not really, its fresh air, but not exercise, need to start doing the Jerusalema dance in the basement ! 😀👍 Have a good one - CAVE
Hi Belfastbees - I’m like you on W&W about 16 mos from dx no treatments ALC at 9, so low stage (0) CLL . Had TIA same week dx with CLL n then doc decided to attack my high LDL (135 +\-) with Atorvastatin 80mg ( maybe for life? that I don’t know) because of family high history of heart attacks/early deaths from tiny clogged artiteries.
So alls great with cholesterol counts now n I have always been active with sports/exercise, mostly healthy eating etc n BMI at 21ish forever … like many on this forum advocate active healthy lifestyle seems to help. Docs long ago had run a bunch of tests regarding my high cholesterol total (just barely over 200 max threshold with LDL no previously noted ) n told me it was a genetic thing … that knowledge kinda worked against the healthy eating to control it (didn’t work in my case)… so hence statins now
Some might disagree with that but for me it’s all working well no complaints on the statins n I had resisted trying them until TIA was a wake-up call it needed to be addressed. As for HDL I’ve always been in the happy range (H of HDL Im told us happy cholesterol numbers been steady at 50 n high mg statins didn’t move it up or down go figure but it cut LDL in half to 65!
Anyways, no linkage per my docs on CLL to cholesterol. The replies are interesting on your question about that. Will read about this.
I’m not big fan on taking drugs like statins if I’ve can figure out a way to avoid them with non-drug methods. Not always the case in certain situations like mine so down the hatch they go.
As for why we got CLL? Many posts on that very question n AussieNeil usually chimes in on it with a bunch of studies/articles n it seems to still be an open question … you raise cholesterol linkage? Some have brought up living near nuclear facilities ☢️ or other environmental or man-made (aka Roundup use) reasons while hereditary linkage too has been looked at, along with other potential factors.
Hard to pinpoint it. Though I gotta say the neighborhood I live in… just mikes away from a once operating nuclear plutonium bomb making trigger factory… we have an extremely high incidence of cancer among us residents … a coincidence? Don’t think so.
Cholesterol linkage is an interesting one you brought up … great post .. it pokes at the brain to think about it!
I was thinking more the other way round in all honesty, that the CLL has an effect on the cholesterol. I don't suspect any link between the two, but just wonder if there's an effect of kne on the other.
It is interesting what causes any cancer, including ours. It seems in our case to be genetic mutation, but what triggers that who knows.
I for one have wondered might it be my past employment where I climbed radio towers, carrying microwave/ tetra and other systems. Sometimes, not always these would be turned off. It must be noted that this was not day in day out work, not even half a day per week. Just a function sometimes in that job.
I don't suppose I'll ever know, and that's OK. It is what it is.
Will refocus on the exercise and diet, probably portion size is a good place to start.
Ahh CLL on cholesterol … well for my case can’t say it was since been carrying bad cholesterol no’s way before dx of CLL. But doesn’t mean that can’t be a possible link.
Climbing sometimes radio towers yeah that could be a link.
My doc tells me my heart concerns are way bigger than CLL as a stroke or heart attack could take me out in a heartbeat, no pun intended.
If it’s not one thing it’s another .. enjoy living life as long as you can!
Absolutely. Having come to terms with the diagnosis of a blood cancer I realise that more than ever. I'm fit and well so make hay.
I'm sure it must be harder to deal with stroke or cardiac threat as you say it can be instant.
My brother (coincidentally younger, 54 and fit, good diet, fantastic cholesterol) had a heart attack last year. walking up his drive and the pain he says was so severe he went to ground. Was able to get up, get inside and wife called ambulance and he was OK. Plenty of folks don't get up.
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